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Dubai Desert Classic, third-round leaderboard
-14 P Reed (US); -10 D Puig (Spa); -9 V Hovland (Nor), A Sullivan (Eng); -8 A Pavan (Ita), F Molinari (Ita); -7 T Olesen (Den), J Campillo (Spa)
Selected others: -6 N Hojgaard (Den); -4 E Ferguson (Sco), T McKibbin (NI); -3 R McIlroy (NI); -1 T Hatton (Eng), S Lowry (Ire); +2 T Fleetwood (Eng)
American Patrick Reed shot a five-under-par 67 to lead by four shots after round three of the Dubai Desert Classic at the Emirates Golf Club.
The 35-year-old LIV golfer registered seven birdies and two bogeys as he took advantage of the best conditions of the week so far to move to 14 under par.
Reed bounced back from dropping a stroke at the first and chipped in from off the green for one of his birdies on the ninth.
“I felt a little nervous on that first tee and messed up at that hole but after that got into the mode of trying to hit quality golf shots and take every shot on,” Reed told Sky Sports.
“The swing felt really good once I got midway through the front nine and that gave me all the confidence in the world to go out and attack this place and get the momentum going in the back nine.
“The biggest thing for me now is to get a win at a place I absolutely love coming to. Hopefully I can play some solid golf and close it out.”
Spain’s David Puig put together a 66 to establish himself as the nearest challenger to the 2018 Masters champion going into the final day.
Meanwhile, Norwegian three-time Ryder Cup player Viktor Hovland fired a 65 to propel himself into contention on nine under, along with England’s Andy Sullivan, who carded 71.
Hovland, who won the event in a play-off in 2022, posted seven birdies in a bogey-free round to equal the best round of the week and step up his bid for a third DP World Tour tournament success of his career.
Italians Andrea Pavan and Francesco Molinari are four off the pace in a tie for fifth place, with Spain’s Jorge Campillo and Dane Thorbjorn Olesen one further shot adrift.
First-round leader Molinari went on an early charge by picking up shots at each of the first three holes but back-to-back dropped shots at the 13th and 14th meant the 2018 Open champion had to settle for a 71.
Rory McIlroy’s hopes faded further as his 71 left him in equal 27th position on three under, while defending champion Tyrrell Hatton and Shane Lowry sit on one under after rounds of 76 and 74 respectively.
Hatton holed for birdies at the third and 18th but six dropped shots in the space of 10 holes between the seventh and the 16th put paid to his ambitions of climbing the leaderboard on day three.
World number three Tommy Fleetwood’s disappointing week continued as he shot a 73 to lie outside the top 60 on two over.
